The CBI Friday registered a fresh FIR against a Nagpur-based company and some unidentified public servants in the coal block scam and carried out searches at some places in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials conducted searches at four places which include one place each in Nagpur and Raigad in Maharashtra and two places are in Raipur."The case has been registered against the Nagpur-based Jayaswal Neco Industries and inpidual public servants," a CBI official said. "The allegation pertains to misappropriation and excess mining of coal beyond the approved quantum from Gare Palma IV coal block in Raigad...," he said. Gare Palma IV coal block was allocated to Jayaswal Neco Industries for their sponge iron plant. However, the company resorted to excess mining of coal from 2007-08 and onwards and used it for the captive power plant in violation of the lease agreement."Though the same was in the knowledge of coal controller and state government authorities, but no action was taken by them," said the official.
The agency conducted raids at the offices and residences of suspected company officials and public servants."The raids were conducted at two places in Raipur and one each in Raigad and Nagpur," the official said. With this, the number of cases lodged by the CBI over the coal blocks allocation has gone up to 20.The case is the outcome of a preliminary enquiry registered Sep 26, 2012, for looking into allocations of coal blocks during the period 1993-2005.